[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 152 (Wednesday, November 16, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H10366-H10367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           WHO IS IN CHARGE, MEXICO CITY OR WASHINGTON, D.C.?

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to U.S. immigration policy, who 
is really in charge? Is it Mexico City or Washington, D.C.?
  On almost a daily basis, Mexican officials seem to interfere with the 
immigration matters and U.S. laws. Mexican officials on both sides of 
the border are righteously indignant about American policies pertaining 
to the security of our border. Many American officials are oblivious to 
the problem as well. There is a continuous moaning and groaning 
rhetoric complaining we should not prevent illegals from entering the 
sovereign United States.
  I want to make it clear again that I fully support immigration, legal 
immigration. It is not fair to America, nor is it fair to those who are 
trying to enter our country lawfully that every year thousands of 
people enter our country illegally. We must stop sending the wrong 
message to the world that we will wink at illegal immigration. It 
appears to me that the leaders of Mexico give lip service to our 
immigration and border security laws. Mexico must stop encouraging 
illegal entry to the United States and the disrespect for the dignity 
and sovereignty of this country. So I ask, When it comes to U.S. 
immigration policy, who is in charge? Is it Mexico City or is it 
Washington, D.C.?
  Let me give you some examples. I will start with our open borders. 
You know, our government does not acknowledge the term open borders or 
porous borders, but that is exactly what we have. I have recently 
visited the United States-Mexico border and witnessed firsthand the lax 
security in place there. It takes very little effort for illegals to 
cross or hire someone to cross them into the United States and enter 
this country illegally.
  Some estimate that 5,000 people a day cross illegally into our 
country. Some of them even do it with the help of the Mexican 
Government. The Foreign Ministry of Mexico distributes a pamphlet 
called ``Guide to Crossing the Border.'' I have shown this on the floor 
before. It is produced in English and Spanish, and it is essentially a 
book of sneaking into the United States. The Mexican consulates 
encourage this illegal conduct as well. Their purpose is not to help 
their citizens break American law, but that is what occurs. Passing out 
these guides is a disgrace to our laws and encourages illegal behavior. 
This lone act of a document showing people illegally how to come into 
the United States is a disrespect for America's borders and encourages 
the daily invasion of illegals into the United States.
  So once again I will ask the question, When it comes to United States 
immigration policy, who is in charge? Mexico City or Washington, D.C.?
  Consulates also hand out matricula consular cards which illegals use 
for identification purposes. This card resembles a driver's license and 
has become widely accepted as a form of identification to get services 
at U.S. banks, car dealerships, and American insurance companies. Even 
in some States they are allowing individuals to purchase or get a 
driver's license based on this document. The consulate issues these 
cards to people who are illegally in the United States. This is an 
absurd policy because these people are in our country illegally, yet we 
are helping them set up a residence in our country.
  The Mexican Government has heavily lobbied the Federal Government of 
the United States to use these cards as identification cards, but so 
far the Federal Government does not do so. So Mexican consulates are 
going to local communities and local governments and trying to get them 
to accept this document. And some do, unfortunately.

[[Page H10367]]

This is just one more example of blatant disrespect for American law, 
yet we do nothing about it. We give illegals and the Mexican Government 
another pass. When it comes to the United States immigration policy, 
who is in charge? Is it Mexico City or Washington, D.C.? The answer is 
becoming more and more blurred.
  Let me give you another serious example. In Los Angeles during the 
past year, the Mexican Government has provided over 100,000 Mexican 
text books to 1,500 schools. In fact, according to a recent Houston 
Chronicle editorial written by Heather McDonald, the sixth-grade 
Mexican history book celebrates the Mexican troops who fought against 
Americans during the Mexican-American War. The book refers to the enemy 
flag as the flag of the United States and says that the war's 
consequences were disastrous for Mexico.
  So is this what we are going to teach American school children? Has 
political correctness gone so far that we now refer to Old Glory as the 
enemy flag? And why do we allow the Mexican Government to inundate our 
kids with Mexican text books anyway? This is very disturbing. The 
Mexican Government should spend more time enforcing their own rule of 
law and fighting corruption in Mexico and less time undermining our 
rule of law. Mexico has many advantages and natural resources. Perhaps 
they should take advantage of these to improve their own country so 
residents will quit leaving. They need to address their problems at 
home instead of sending them north to us.
  Mr. Speaker, the lawlessness of the border will promote more 
lawlessness. We welcome people who want to make a better life for 
themselves and come to America for the American Dream, but they must do 
so legally. Our government cannot afford to continue to ignore the 
invasion from the south of our borders. The Mexican-American War 
started because Mexicans did not recognize the Texas-Mexico border at 
the time. They ignored the treaty that their dictator, Santa Anna 
signed, and they invaded the United States in 1846.
  Sound familiar? It seems to me that a second attempt at invasion and 
colonization has already begun. Is Mexico trying to retake the 
Southwest? It is said that Caesar fiddled while Rome burned. I ask, Is 
Washington fiddling while the border burns with the lawlessness of an 
illegal invasion? Who is in charge of the U.S. immigration policy? 
Washington, D.C. or Mexico City? Only history will reveal the answers 
to that.
  That is just the way it is.

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